NFT Collectors series - 2/x - Colborn Bell - Museum of Crypto Art

Floor is Rising

Episode Interview with Colborn, find his twitter colbornbell and check out his Museum of Crypto Art (MOCA)

Time Stamps

[1:01 – 2:10] Colborn’s intro to NFTs was with Moon Cats. When these later had a resurgence in the NFT scene he was able to go back and recover 17 from his original mission.

[2:58 – 4:13] First inspired by the Inhotim Museum in Brazil, when building MOCA Colborn looked to the history of physical museums. From this he adopted the rule to NOT participate in the commercial side of the artwork. Art and artists in the NFT scene often get overlooked and Colborn found it was important to favor them over the market.

https://verticalcrypto.art/a-recap-of-the-interview-with-colborn-bell-from-the-museum-of-crypto-art-and-micol-from-verticalcrypto-art

[4:13 – 5:36] Looking to use crypto currency as a tool for empowerment and a way to flatten identity biases. Just like the visual language of crypto, it is important for Colborn that the NFT scene has its own heroes. Along with this he also feels it is important that the scene is empowering creatives and pushing forth the melding of technology with creativity.

[6:10 – 8:44] Colborn finds that through the curatorial nature of most traditional art spaces there is a certain level of sterility and that this can be combated by providing the audience with the tools to explore for themselves. Similar to Somnium Space, leaving the experience to the viewer’s eye is empowering. With MOCA Colborn looks to bend realities and possibilities in hopes to convey to others what can be possible and to get them thinking.

[10:12 – 12:37] Art should not be put into a narrow category. When it comes to MOCA Colborn plans to include all forms of digital art as they all have their place within the history of NFTs. What worries Colborn is that the trend of profile pics feels a lot like the late stage 2017 ICO boom; people are making a lot of money but at some point the bottom will inevitably fall out.

[13:54 – 15:40] People getting in just to flip doesn’t hold value. Colborn hopes the profile picture phenomenon is waning. He finds other new projects like Art Blocks to be unique and a valuable tool for creators.

[16:36 – 18:38] Created the MOCA token with the hopes to counter the traditional top-down approach in the arts and culture. Traditional sources of power generally push culture down but with crypto we have the opportunity to push people up. In this fight against high culture you have folk heroes of crypto like XCOPY who is working in a hyper contemporary style and whose work provides social critique.

[19:12 – 21:35] Looking towards what happens when people are done collecting, Colborn has projects like the Genesis Collection. Views the MOCA Member’s Pass as a metaverse passport; a way for people to express their identity. Concerned with how to build a living history and interested in helping people curate within their own collection.

[21:49 – 24:42] The metaverse as a global internet community; a social overlay that isn’t constrained by physical reality. Sees MOCA as a space for the public good where people can get together. AI can be a powerful tool for connecting people but we need to look out for profit-driven experiences that we are using for social connections (i.e., Facebook, Instagram).

[24:42 – 27:32] Building a public good in a financial area is an interesting paradox. MOCA does not have a revenue model apart from the token. Colborn hopes that through the vision and the project people will join in and support. Separated from original partner Pablo Rodríguez Fraile.

[27:42 – 30:02] ] Colborn believes in being as public and transparent as possible. Martin Lukas Ostachowski, on the artist council for MOCA, felt the weight of curation and how it plays in history. MOCA looks to separate power outside of just one individual or certain individuals.

In general collectors care more about perverting history than artists. Wants to continue being an artist based museum where artists feel free and comfortable to create.